Portable power unit.



Patented June 2, 191% 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

R. R BECK. PORTABLE POWER UNIT.

APPLICATION FILED MAE. 19, 1913,

1,098,403. Patented June 2, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESS far? 7 Wggg/NVENIOR Mm WWW R. R. REOK.

PORTABLE POWER UNIT.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 19, 1913.

1,098,403. Patented June 2, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEBT 3.

VIM 5.55]? y COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0.. WAS NNNNNNNNNN c RULLEND B. BECK, C133 BRADFUIRD, PENNSYIUVANIA.

PORTABLE PUFF/ER UNEIT.

rece es.

Application filed March 19, 1913.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 2, 1914.

Serial No. 755,5?0.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, E'OLLEND Rack, citizen of the United States, residing at Bradford, in the county of Mcltiean and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Power Units; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists in the novel features hereinafter set forth reference being had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of my invention selected by me for purposes of illustration and said invention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

ltn the said drawings, Figure 1 is a detail of a portable power unit for drilling oil and gas wells and like purposes and embodying my invention. 2 is a partial top plan view of the same drawn to an en larged scale showing the extension bed and parts carried thereby. Fig. 3 is a vertical central sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig. i is an end view of the parts supported on the extension bed, on the same scale as Fig. 1.

The object of my present invention is to provide a portable power unit adapted especially for use in drilling oil and gas wells. Such a power unit must be capable of ready transportation to the place where the well is to be drilled, usually remote from civilization and more or less inaccessible for heavy draft vehicles, and it must be further con structed so as to withstand the heavy strains imposed upon it in the operation of the drilling mechanism, which necessitates constantly recurring reversing of the driving mechanism, and sudden changes of load, and it mustalso be capable of being readily set up in wild country and kept in proper alinement, and in operative condit1on. As a result of large experience in connection with. the actual use of such power units in the field, l have devised my present invention, which is specially adapted to meet the unusual and severe requirements of such operations.

its the prime motor I prefer to employ a nuilti-cylinder explosive engine, which is mounted on base having a lateral eaten sion integ 'al therewith to support an outboard bearing for an extension of the main or motor shaft, which carries the reversing gearing, thus precluding the possibility of .the shaft and its extension getting out of alinoment. This is very important as the driving belt will always extend substantially horizontally from the driving pulley and exert a heavy strain sidewise thereon.

in the drawings 1 represents the engine base provided with. the extension 1, the base itseli being preferably provided with a closed crank case 2, 2, the lower portion 2 f which I prefer to form integral with the base 1 for greater strength and rigidity. although this is not essential. Upon the base are mounted the cylinders l of the enplosive engine, a four cylinder, four cycle engine being here shown. The crank case contains the usual crank shaft 5 provided at the end opposite the extension base with balance wheel. 6, the crank shaft being supported in suitable hearings in the crank case, in the usual manner, and the crank case may be partially filled with lubricant for oiling the crank shaft bearings and connections in a well known way.

At the outer end of the base extension 1 I provide an outboard bearing support 7, which may be castintegrally with the base, but I prefer to form it separately and bolt it thereto as shown, and which carries the outboard bearing 7 for the crank shaft extension 5. I prefer to form the crank shaft extension or driving shaft separate from the crank shaft, and to connect it to the crank shaft by a shaft coupling 8, the parts of which are preferably formed of cast iron and bolted or screwed together, this coupling being designedly made the weakest point in the shafts, so that in case of undue strain or accident the coupling will break and save both shafts from injury. A new coupling can be kept on hand, whereas to repair or -eplace either shaft would render the device inoperative for a considerable time where an accident occurred in the field.

The extension or driving shaft is pro vided with a reversing mechanism shown in detail in section in 3, and preferably constructed as follows. The driving shaft has its outer portion reduced in diameter, as shown at 5, 3, to receive a sleeve 9, rotatably mounted thereon preferably provided adjacent to its ends with interior bushes 9, 9 thus providing a space. 9 between said bushes which can be filled and kept filled with oil, in any suitable way.

10, 10 represent two sections of a reversing pulley, which are loosely mounted. on.

the sleeve 9 and driving shaft 5 respectively, and are preferably bushed as shown, the meeting edges of the peripheral portions of said sections being rabbeted and overlapping to make a tight joint and the ends being closed by suitable circular webs. The two sections are united rigidly by suitable bolts-11. The section 10 of the pulley has an internal sleeve 10 to which is rigidly secured abevel gear wheel, 12, and a similar gear wheel 13 is arranged opposite thereto within the pulley and mounted fast on the driving shaft 5 by means of a key or otherwise.

The. sleeve '9 is provided within the pulley with a centrally disposed spider 14:, fast on the sleeve, by means of a key or otherwise, and carrying a plurality of pinions 15 which are in mesh with the opposed gear wheels 12 and 13. The gear wheel 13 is provided. with an annular friction flange 16, within which is located a split clutch ring 17 of well. known construction, carried by the web of pulley section 10 to which it is secured by bolt 18, the ends of said ring being engaged by a cam 19, the shaft of whichextends through the pulley web and is provided with-an arm 20 in operative relation with a sliding cone 21 loose on shaft 5 the construction being such that when the cone is moved longitudinally of the shaft into engagement with arm 20 the clutch ring is expanded to frictionally engage the inner surface of flange 16, and lock the wheel 13 fast with the pulley.

The sleeve 9 is provided with a friction wheel 22;, the peripheryof which is grooved to receive a brake band 23, one end of which.

is fast, the other end being secured to a crank arm 2 1 pivoted at 25 in the outboard bearing support 7, and provided with an operating arm 2.6, by means of which the band 23 can be applied to the wheel 22 to hold it and sleeve 9 stationary.

The crank shaft and shaft extension rotate at all times in one direction only, and it will be seen that if the cone 21 is moved to bring the clutch ring into action, the pulley will be locked frictionally to the gear 13 which iskeyed to shaft 5* hence the pulley will rotate with the shaft, and the band 23 being loose, will carry with it the gear 12, spider 14, sleeve 9 and wheel 22. This constitutes the ordinary or direct drive, and

when so-operating it will be noted that the gears 12 andl3- and the spider and its pinions a-ll'travel together and all wear on the pinions and gears is avoided.

Toreverse the direction of rotation of the pulley 10, 10 the cone 21 is moved to release the clutch ring, and the band 23 is clamped on the wheel 22, thus stopping the sleeve, and spider l t. The power applied by shaft 5 through gear 13 will then act upon the pinions 15, to rotate the same, thus driving the gear 12 in a direction the reverse of that of the shaft, and carrying with itthe.

pulley to which gear 12 is directly connected. This reversing mechanism is very simple and the parts being inclosed within the pulley the latter is filled with oil or other lubricant, so that the inclosed parts run in the lubricant at all times.

I prefer to provide means for simultaneously operating thecone 21 and band 23 in both directions, and in this instance 1 have shown a shifting bar 27, having one end engaging a guiding. aperture 28 in the crank case, and the other end pivoted to an arm 29 of a bell crank lever, the other arm 30 of which is pivoted to an arm 31 of a yoke, the other arm 32 of which is pivotedto the operatin arm 2.6 of the'crank for operating the band 23. The bar 27 is provided with a.yoke 33 engaging an annular groove 3% in the cone 21. 35 represents a rock shaft, which, may be mounted. near the extension 1 of the baseas shown, or at a distance therefrom if'desired, asin the derrick where the drilling is being carried on and is provided with a reversing lever 36, and with an operating arm 37, the latter being connected by a link 39 to the yoke 32, 33, so that by moving the reversing lever 36 in one direction the brake band will be loosened and the clutch ring simultaneously applied, and by moving said lever in the opposite direction the clutch ring willbe loosened and the band brake simultaneously applied. Where the lever 36, shaft 35 and arm 37 are located at a distance from the apparatus, it is: only necessary to increase the length of the link 39 asrequired, a section of pipe for example being conveniently used for the purpose.

In order to keep the sleeve 9 well lubri-- cated I prefer to have it extend. beyond the end ofthe reduced portion 5 of the extension shaft as shown. and to close the end of the sleeve with a suitable cap 40, having an oiling aperture therein closed by a screw plug 4E1, so that by removing this plug, the space within the end of. the sleeve can be filled with oil or other lubricant. The sleeve will thus-be in communication witha reservoir of lubricant at each end, and the thorough lubrication of itsv shaft engaging bushings is thus assured. The oil will also work intov and substantially fill the space 9. surrounding the shaft, between the. sleeve bushings.

The engine bed 1, 1 is preferably mount.- ed on a supporting frame 50, of wood,.comprising suitable skids and cross pieces, and

provided with axles 51, (one, of which is pivnoeaioa oted as at 52) to receive suitable supporting wheels (not shown) so that the power unit can be readily transported from place to place. When it is brought to the desired location in the field, the frame will be blocked up and the wheels removed, while the machine is in operation, after which the wheels can be replaced and the power unit transported to another location.

"it will be seen that this construction is especially adapted for use in drilling oil and gas wells, and provides a simple, strong and efficient power unit for this purpose, which will withstand the hard usage to which such use subjects it without liability of getting out of alinement, or of breaking any part which cannot be readily repaired on the ground.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a portable power unit for drilling oil and gas wells, the combination with an engine bed, having an extension at one side of the engine supporting portion of the bed, an engine mounted on said bed, an outboard bearing supported adjacent to the outer end of said base extension, a driving shaft supported at one end by the outboard bearing and having its other end connected to the engine shaft, a sleeve loosely engaging a portion of said driving shaft, a reversible pulley loosely mounted on said sleeve and shaft, and provided internally with agear wheel fast therewith, an opposing gear wheel within the pulley fast on said driving shaft, a spider fast on said sleeve located between said gear wheels and carrying pinions meshing therewith, a clutch for connecting the shaft driven gear wheel with the pulley, and brake mechanism for holding said sleeve stationary.

2. In a portable power unit for drilling oil and gas wells, the combination with the engine base having an extension at one side of the engine supporting portion thereof, an engine mounted on said base, an outboard bearing mounted adjacent to the outer end of said base extension, a driving shaft having its outer end supported by said bearing and its inner end connected to the engine shaft, a loose sleeve on a portion. of said shaft, a reversible driving pulley loosely mounted on said shaft and sleeve, and comprising two rigidly connected sections having closed ends, and united at their peripheral portions, a gear wheel rigidly secured to oneof said sections within the pulley, an opposing gear wheel fast on the driving shaft within the pulley, a spider faston said sleeve between said gear wheels and carrying pinions meshing therewith, a friction clutch within the pulley for connecting it with the shaft driven gear wheel, said clutch having an operating part extending outside of the pulley, a brake wheel mounted on said sleeve outside of the pulley, a brake band for engaging said. brake wheel, and operating devices for said clutch and brake band.

in a power unit for drilling oil and gas wells, the combination with the engine base having an extension at one side of the engine, an engine mounted on said base, an outboard bearing mounted on said extension, a driving shaft having one end supported by said bearing and the other con nccted to the engine shaft, a sleeve loosely mounted on a portion of said shaft, an annular oil space being formed between said shaft and sleeve, the said sleeve extending beyond the outer end of the shaft, a closure for the outer end of the sleeve, forming an oil recess therein, a removable device for affording access to said oil recess, and a reversible pulley mount-ed on said sleeve and driving shaft.

41. In a power unit for drilling oil and gas wells, the combination with the engine base having an extension at one side of the engine, an engine mounted on said base, an outboard bear-in mounted on said extension, a driving shaft having one end supported by said bearing and the other connected to the engine shaft, a sleeve loosely mounted on a portion of said shaft, an annular oil space being formed between said shaft and sleeve, the said sleeve extending beyond the outer end of the shaft, a closure for the outer end of the sleeve, forming an oil recess therein, a removable device for affording access to said oil recess, a reversible pulley mounted on said sleeve and driving shaft, and adapted to inclose a lubricant therein, whereby a lubricant reservoir is provided at each end of said sleeve.

5. in a portable power unit for drilling oil and gas wells, the combination with an engine base, an engine mounted thereon, said base having an extension at one side of the engine, an outboard bearing mounted on said extension, a driving shaft supported at one end by said bearing and having its other end connected to the engine shaft, aloose sleeve mounted on a portion of said shaft, a reversible pulley mounted 011 said sleeve and shaft, reversing mechanism including a clutch and brake, a yoke operatively connected with said clutch and brake for ope "ating the same simultaneously, and a reversing lever operatively connected to said yoke.

63. In a portable power unit for drilling oil and gas wells, the combination with an engine base, an engine mounted thereon, said base having an extension at one side of the engine, an outboard bearing mounted on said extension, a driving shaft supported at one end by said bearing and having its other end connected to the engine shaft, a loose sleeve mounted on a portion of said shaft, a reversible pulley mounted on said -tive connections between said lever and said sleeve and shaft reversing mechanism inyoke. 10 eluding a clutch and brake, an operating de- In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, vice for said brake, a shifting rod operain the presence of two witnesses.

" tively connected with said clutch, a yoke ROLLEND R. BECK.

having one arm connected with the brake -Witnesses: operating device, and the other with said JOHN C. MELVIN, shifting rod, a reversing lever, and opera- H. VJ. JACK.

Copiesof this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

